Tiramisu Restaurant Bradenton

Italian newlyweds move to Bradenton, start their first restaurant at Tiramisu
BY CHARLES SCHELLE
cschelle@bradenton.comJanuary 8, 2015

MANATEE -- At Tiramisu Ristorante & Pizzeria, the love for food is as strong as the love between its owners.

Luca and Monica Cecconi wanted to run their own restaurant and emigrated to America to live out that dream. The newlyweds married in May and then moved to Bradenton in October after acquiring their visas.

"We would like people to feel like they're in our home, share in our kitchen and our wine," Luca said.

The food is as authentic as it can be as the two try to find the right words in English to explain their Italian ingredients and life in general. The Cecconis took over the space Mama T's Pizza last occupied, making an unsolicited offer for the restaurant and equipment.

Tiramisu opened in November at 5215 14th St. W., beside Dairy Queen. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays.

"We don't have a big, big budget, so we were looking for a little restaurant to take over," Luca said.

Both have their own expertise. Luca, 28, is the wine connoisseur who grew up in Livorno, southwest of Pisa on the Mediterranean Sea. He curated 40 varieties of wine including a special Tuscany section of bottles. Monica, 33, is the food expert who hails from a small mountain village near Bologna. She met Luca while working at a small hotel he visited on vacation. The two fell in love and found